Congress routs NCP in Sharad Pawar's stronghold

In a setback to Sharad Pawar, Congress has wrested the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with a clear majority.

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MUMBAI: Despite chinks in the Congress at all levels, it wrested the Sangli-Miraj-Kupwad Municipal Corporation from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) with a clear majority on Monday. The Congress won 40 out of 76 seats, while the NCP secured 18, Swabhiman Sanghatana eight, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena one and Independents nine.

The civic poll outcome is a major setback for deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, home minister R R Patil and rural development minister Jayant Patil, besides, of course, Maratha strongman and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, as Sangli was considered an NCP stronghold.

Sharad Pawar monitored the situation ever since elections were announced, while Ajit Pawar, R R Patil and Jayant Patil camped in Sangli, the home town of the rural development and home ministers. The Congress campaign was led by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, state party president Manikrao Thakre and forest minister Patangrao Kadam. "It was a prestige issue for the Congress and NCP. We not only won, but secured a clear majority. It's a big victory for the party and we are sure we will maintain the performance in the Lok Sabha polls too,'' Thakre said.

Kadam said the people of Sangli, Miraj and Kupwad are with the Congress and the party will repeat the performance in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls.

Allegations and counter-allegations had marred electioneering. Thakre had said that Jayant Patil was eager to join the Congress and he was making efforts to meet party president Sonia Gandhi whenever she was in Mumbai. Jayant Patil had denied the charge and said he had lodged a complaint with the state election commission. Chavan too came down heavily on the NCP, though he did not name the party directly.

NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said his party accepted defeat and was analyzing the outcome.

A senior NCP minister said intra-party disputes led to the debacle. "We failed to halt the mass exodus of senior leaders to the Congress. We nominated persons with criminal backgrounds for the elections and above all, in the last five years, we miserably failed to address civic issues. It was an outright rejection of us by the people of Sangli,'' he said.